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University of Maryland Collaborates With 'Eco-friendly' Sex Shop

Lila GrayOct 10, 2013 2:30 PM PDT

COLLEGE PARK, MD — The University of Maryland is partnering up with the D.C.-based, eco-friendly sex shop and resource center The Garden to host workshops as part of its Sex Week event that begins next Tuesday.

Presented by the public university’s health center, the event page says that Sex Week will “provide diverse opportunities for the campus community to learn, connect and explore the dynamic world of sexuality and sexual health and wellness.”

The Garden’s owner Jessica Von Dyke will be hosting the seminar “Toy Talk for Grown Folks: Why You Should Care What You Buy” to educate students about the quality and safety of the sundry lubes and toys out on the market.

Another workshop run by Bianca Palmisano, The Garden’s executive assistant, “Asking for It: Finding your Words for Better, Sexier Communication in the Bedroom,” is focused on facilitating openness in the bedroom for heightened self-understanding more gratifying sex.

The five-day affair features a panoply of other sex-related events, including a Queer Open Mic, a seminar dedicated to the spirituality of sexuality and free HIV/STI testing. It will conclude with a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture show,” accompanied by a full shadow cast.

In recent years, many top universites, including Yale, Harvard and University of Chicago, have hosted their own versions of Sex Week in the interest of spurring productive and educational dialog about sex and sexuality.